You know? It took me forever to finish writing the previous 37 chapters. Well, some of them (you can read me complaining in those). And halfway through this story, another idea came to my mind and wouldn't let me go, and I had to struggle to get some chapters out of my brain (some of them aren't so good, we all know it! xD). So I finished chapter 37, I put those two little words, and, the moment I checked Chapter one of the next story… this… thing, wouldn't let me go, not even at work! And therefore, you got an epilogue epically soon.

So enjoy it!

M.

PS: Thank you all for the lovely reviews!

Chapter 38–Through the looking glass (aka, The epilogue that wasn't supposed to happen)

2009

O'Neill Residence

Colorado.

"Can you tell me the history again?" The little girl pleaded. Her older brother rolled her eyes, while the adult in the room smiled softly.

"Which one?"

"The one where they told everyone!" the girl said happily with a dramatic turn, her little dress puffing with the movement.

"Okay. Once upon a time…"

"It started in 2002," the older brother corrected with another eye roll, receiving a glare from both women.

"There was a General, he was scruffy looking but everyone was enamored with him."

"Really? That's how you are going?"

"Aidan! If you don't stop interrupting, we will never be over it," the adult warned him with a soft smile.

"Yeah, whatever! Just don't make me a prince or something like that."

"Nope, no Prince… just a brat," she smiled mischievously and got a pillow thrown in her general direction. "As I was saying."

"Everyone was in love with daddy! I love daddy too."

"Yes, Mandy. I know you love him. He is pretty likable." The little girl gave her a toothy smile, blushing a little, her blue eyes twinkling with merriment. "But he was in love already, and he had eyes for no one else but his wife…"

"And no one knew they were married!"

"Exactly! That was until…"

"Until they transformed the bad folder into a good folder! And they… they could tell evryone bout it!"

"Am I telling the history or you, little girl?"

"I'm sorry, Nikky…" Amanda O'Neill pouted as she knew that was all she needed to melt her oldest half-sister. Although she didn't understand which part of Nikky was her sister and which part of her wasn't.

"Pleeeease… go on!"

2002

O'Neill residence

"Jack?" Sam asked later that night after the lights of their farewell party went down and the weight of an uncertain future was lifted.

"Yes?"

"What do you think people are saying about my pregnancy?" She sounded worried.

"Well, for what I heard in the scuttlebutt everyone knows you are pregnant," she nodded against his chest. "However, someone gave them the truth about it."

"They did?"

"Yes, I heard they were passing data about how the Furlings took advantage of you to get you pregnant as an experiment."

"Oh!" Sam said and fell quiet again. However, she found that sleep was eluding her, and not even the relaxing sound of Jack's heart nor the up and down moving of her head over his chest gave her the peace of mind she needed.

"Jack?" she asked again. He knew it was coming since he could hear her think.

"Hmm."

"How are we going to tell them we are married?" she asked, worrying her lower lip.

"I don't know," he whispered back.

Since the promotion ceremony, they both found weird that their names didn't appear on the pool for the bet on 'who's our secret couple'. They found it so strange that they were sure everyone knew about them, but they were giving them enough room to let it out of the bag at their own time. "What about… Nah, never mind is a dumb idea…" he said placing a hand over her fourteen weeks old baby bump.

"What?" she asked, rolling out of him and placing her head on top of her raised hand. He turned around and did the same.

"I was just thinking about what Liz said… you know…"

"Nope, not really… Liz says lots of things," Sam smiled.

"I… we could renovate our vows or something… in front of everyone…."

"That's so cute, Jack… but I won't do that while pregnant. I don't want to look like a whale in the pictures."

"You will be the loveliest whale in the world," Jack smiled and got a punch in his chest as an answer. "Anyway, that's why I told you it was a dumb idea…"

"Unless…" Sam smiled mischievously

"Uh oh… unless, what?"

"We could send them invites for it, but for a date some months after birth so I can be back to my weight. Then closer to the date, we sent another invite to make them remember it's coming."

"But wouldn't that be, I don't know, low? Or make them hate us or something?"

"Jack, we have to tell them, somehow… and the ones who really matter... they already know. We can only hope the rest takes the news as well as our friends did."

In the following days or nights, they talked about their idea with Daniel, Janet, and Liz. With their approval and recommendation of setting it a year after the birth due date ('So you can have a honeymoon,' they said), settling the date wasn't as hard as they thought. They started with the task of organizing an event that was still far away from being near, but that would happen. Thunder, lightning, or snow.

It was a warm morning day when they both appeared at the SGC first checkpoint, carrying boxes containing white envelopes. They signed their way in while the Airmen's checked it was in fact only paper what they carried with them. The second checkpoint came with the same procedure, and they were ready to get to work.

Instead of going to their new offices located in old storage rooms as they normally would, each of them disembarked on a different floor and made their ways through all the building delivering closed white envelopes to every one of the SGC members. Including people in the infirmary and mess hall personnel. With a simple request, do not open it until we give the signal.

Once they were done, they walked to Daniel's office with just one envelope in their hands. Daniel smiled at seeing them and then he noticed the white paper in Jack's hand and the beaming smile on Sam's face and he jumped.

"It's time?" They both nodded eagerly, and they walked to the control room. General Hammond, Janet, and Teal'c were already there with gigantic grins. Jack approached the mic, while Walter looked at him as if he had grown another head. He cleared his throat and pushed the intercom button.

"Hey there, you all must wonder what's wrong with me or Carter today and what the damn white envelopes are… so, without further ado… please open them and find out for yourselves," he said and they saw how Walter and the other techs in the control room peeled the envelope and changed their expressions from surprised to bewildered to eager. The content of the card was simple.

"Joins us to celebrate our Best Day Ever… Again.

Because some things are worth saying twice.

Please join us on Friday, August the 6th, 2004
as we renew our wedding vows

and celebrate our 10 years wedding anniversary together

Samantha Carter & Johnathan O'Neill

PS: Yes, we are THAT couple "

"Is this… true?" Walter turned around and found himself with all the senior officers nodding at once. "I… you…"

2009

O'Neill Residence

"And they surprised everyone around! With their card!" Mandy said loudly before jumping out of her bed again.

"Mandy, come back to bed, and then…" Nikky said as she saw Amanda walking towards her bed.

"Then I came along!" Mandy said with another twirl, before jumping back to her little bed.

"Yes, it was a cold day in February. Thor was already waiting around for you to complete your days."

"Shh… no one knows about uncle Thor," she whispered.

"Right!"

January 6th, 2003

SGC

Sam hurried along the corridors of the SGC. Despite the time between when they chose their recent assignment and today, they were still working full time at the SGC. Her own offices just a floor above his, but now contained more space for equipment and alien technology. The SGC lab was still under her supervision and was to be moved to the new building, along with her office, lab, and the storage rooms they were currently hogging once they finished the new building.

Jack's office was also still at the SGC, it wasn't an enormous office but he got a secretary for himself and a meeting room, in which he was in. The meeting room was between chaotic and war ruins. She smiled at finding him engrossed in yet another file. He was in charge of making sure that all that was being constructed to host the training facilities and her and Daniel's labs were big enough to cover all of their needs. Also, he was in charge of making sure the tunnels connecting the two buildings were safe enough to exist and to close in case of a security breach on either side… along with a team of engineers which pointed him to the structural issues they could encounter, of course.

She observed him in his current natural habitat. If someone said to her that Jack O'Neill, former special ops, SG-1 leader, father of three, loving husband and formidable officer, would sit quietly so engrossed on a report, she would have laughed to no end. That sounded so preposterous to someone who had spent half of her life making him short to the point vocal reports each time they met for a special ops mission, and a summary when they worked together at the SGC.

"What's so funny?" Jack asked from above the rim of the folder.

"Nothing," she smiled guiltily. "I was just thinking… you weren't one for the reading before," she said coming closer to him, and then she saw it. "But that explains everything."

Inside his folder, he had a comic book.

"It's Aidan's," he dismissed. "He asked something about this guy and I had no idea who he was… whatcha doing here?"

"Thor just contacted me. It's time."

"Already?" She nodded, and she pressed the comm Thor had given her, and soon they were standing aboard Thor's ship.

"Are you ready, Colonel Carter?"

"I think so. I'm not feeling any labor pains or contractions."

"Yes, Doctor Frasier mentioned you might need painkillers."

"Sam? Jack?" Janet joined them on the bridge. "It's all set. We just need you to start."

"That's what I was telling Thor, I'm not in labor yet," she said and that precise moment was the one where her water broke. "I guess I am now"

"Come along," Thor said guiding them to the room they had mounted inside his vessel for this occasion. Janet along with a nurse would be the ones taking care of the birth, unless something happened, for which they had a team of experienced Ob/gyn on call. But Thor and Freyr kept reassuring them it would be birth with no issues. Sam changed to a medical gown, blushing brightly at the way it exposed her. But a quick wink from Jack and some reassuring words calmed her down. The first contraction… made her forget about the gown altogether.

Freyr approached her and gave her something to swallow. "Don't worry, it will make the pain go away and help with the birth," and just like he said that, she felt the contractions come fast, but she didn't feel the pain of them. Janet checked her after the second wave hit to find her fully dilated, "When you feel the next one, push" she said in awe. Normally it took hours to deliver a baby!

And then it was done... the rosy baby was out and screaming her little lungs out. Jack cut the cord using a fancy Asgard scissor. Freyr took the baby to clean her, and soon she was resting comfortably in Sam's arms.

"Our little savior is beautiful, congratulations," Thor said. "Can we know the name of the savior of Asgard and Furlings?"

"Amanda O'Neill."

2009

O'Neill Residence

"That's me, isn't?" Mandy asked with a big bright smile.

"Yeah, Mandy. That's you."

"Were you happy that day, Aidan?"

"I was. You were smaller than I expected for a sister, but I was asking for you for a long time already," Aidan confessed.

"I love you, Aidan," she said with a tired smile.

"Do you want to hear the rest?"

"Prease!" she said, trying hard not to nod off.

August 6th, 2004

Doolittle Hall,

Air Force Academy.

It was a warm day, blue skies, and not even a cloud out there. The smell of summer lingered in the air. And what it seemed like millions of flowers were scattered around the hall, giving it an elegant touch. Jack was walking around in his dress blues, making sure they set everything with the caterers and all, before crossing his way towards the Air Force Chapel.

They decided to do it well this time, and he was willing to even publicly display his affection with words on this day. She deserved it; he knew.

"Jack! Here you are!"

"Space-monkey." He grinned, "I was making sure everything is settled"

"You have been organizing this for two years, Jack," Daniel said, rolling his eyes. "Seriously, if something isn't settled I would be very disappointed."

"I know. I know, why were you searching for me?"

"Your dad as looking for you, and so was Aidan."

They rushed. His father was looking for him because Aidan was looking for him. And his son was looking for him because he was nervous.

"Don't be, buddy. We are standing over there, then we wait for mom and Mandy to join us. It will be okay," Jack said, and Aidan grinned at him. Then he spotted Janet, "How is she?"

"Radiant," she answered truthfully. "Wait to see Mandy, she looks so cute! Now, stop drooling and go to your place! Otherwise, the bride would get there first!"

Janet waited for Jack and Aidan to walk up to their positions at the end of the aisle. It took long since he seemed to be unable to stop and chat with everyone who was inside the fully filled chapel. She rolled her eyes and searched for Daniel, who in a matter of no time, had dragged Jack with Teal'c's help.

She sighed and turned around, making her way to her friend. Outside the room, Jacob Carter waited. They exchanged a smile, and Janet knocked on the door. "Come in," Sam's voice came loud… and she couldn't help but gasp.

"Sam! You look…"

"Just like your mother," Jacob completed in awe and Sam smiled brightly.

"Really?"

"Yes."

She chose a pearl-colored dress since she couldn't use a fancy dress for her first wedding. It was simple, actually. A corset hugged her torso and then flowed down softly in a small fish back skirt. Her short hair glittered with some stones.

"They stick to the hair," she explained when she saw both of them looking at them.

"Oh" Jacob shook himself out of his reverie.

Ten years ago, he was ordered to step aside and let Sam be married to the only special ops office who had dared to joke several times about marrying his only daughter. And somehow, the officer fell in love with his daughter without knowing she was the girl he constantly joked about. Now, he would lead his only daughter down the aisle to his waiting arms. This time, fully convinced they would last for as long as they live. "Ready?" he asked, hesitating.

"Yes," she stated, surely. Janet grabbed Mandy from where she was sitting and they all walked to the aisle.

Mandy went in first. The one-year-old slowly walked down the aisle, enjoying all the attention she was getting. Until she spotted her dad, and no one could stop her from running the last meters after being witnesses of her screaming loudly, "Daddy!" and the loud squeal that came out of her. The crowd giggled at the situation. The big bad grumpy Colonel they once met, now was putty with his daughter in his arms.

Then Janet and Cassie walked in, and soon, Jack passed Mandy to Teal'c since he knew, the moment he saw her, all his attention would be on the woman with whom he had spent his last ten years. Jack was right. The moment he laid eyes on her and she locked her eyes on his… all the crowd disappeared.

He didn't know for sure what was told to them or about them. He only reacted when Aidan stomped on his feet. The snort that came out of Daniel pointed him to whose idea really was.

"Your vows…"

"Ah, sure... right… vows," he said, patting himself down to find his vows. "Here there are! Sam… when I first met you, you were nothing but a child, but even at your young age, you captivated me. You pushed my boundaries, you made me a better person. You shared your deepest secrets and offered me nothing but the most truthful of the friendships. One day, that wasn't enough anymore. One day, I figured that somewhere along the line, I had fallen deeply in love with you. Then, as if we were part of a romantic movie, we found each other married. Secretly married, but married anyway. Even with all the secrecy and all the trials of what our lives entailed since then… I can't regret even a second. Because every second we spend together brought us here. A place where I love you, and somehow, you still love me. Having said that, I vow to keep loving you unconditionally and without hesitation. To take you as you are, and love you until your days are no more. Know for sure, that, with hundreds of alternate realities… I still chose you. I chose you… always."

"Jack… I remember the first time I met you, I was very young, it was a sunny day back in 1985, and I remember what I felt the moment you grabbed my hand for the first time. I was a child, but at that moment I knew I had met the one for me. God knows I tried to forget you, tried not to think of you, and when all that failed, I tried hard to offer you the unconditional friendship that was all I was allowed to have from you. We collided many times, not against ourselves but against conditions which were not pleasant and were far from normal. Since I've met you, I can't remember one dark time where you weren't there by my side. You were an amazing friend, and I can't remember a day in which I haven't loved you. You remained loyal to who you are. And then, destiny, kismet, karma, luck? Whatever you want to call it, happened. And today, ten years had passed since that single day when I embraced what it was given to me. I said yes wholeheartedly to the couple of months I would get to spend as your wife. Then, those months became a secret and under that secret… they became years. They became two wonderful children. It became a love that keeps growing strong. I vow to encourage you, trust you, respect you, and push your boundaries… I vow to be that unconditional friend that I was for so long, that I still am. I promise you that in times of joy and in times of sorrow, I will love you with all my being. As always."

When they finished telling their vows, the only two dry faces were those of their kids, which hadn't comprehended the immensity of the worlds so freely spoked.

"Now I pronounce you, husband and wife… again," was added, and the crowd laughed between their tears. "You may kiss your bride."

2009

O'Neill residence

Somewhere in the midst of the renewal, Mandy fell asleep. Carefully Nikky covered the young girl, and with a nod, she pointed Aidan to the door. They both left her room and went to the living room.

"One more hour and then you are up to bed too," she smiled. They sat in comfortable silence, but she noticed Aidan kept throwing glances at her.

"What? Do I have something in my face?" She joked. But stopped when she saw the serious look on her little brother's face. "Aidan? You know you can talk to me about anything, don't you?" He nodded once.

"It's just…" he shook his head.

"Tell me," she said, turning off the tv.

"I know you are my big sister. That you and mom are still trying to find your foot around each other, but it's been years since dad found you… and," he said sorrowfully, and she gasped. It wasn't at all what she expected him to ask. He looked at the scared face of his sister.

"Aidan, I…"

"Look, I get it. You are all grown up and you don't know mom all that well... but she is a really good mom. I get it, it takes time, even if you two work in the same place doesn't mean you know each other, or that you have time to talk about yourselves. Just like when someone new gets to school and feels weird to share things with them, right? When they end up being your lab partner you talk to them about all the things related to that class, but you don't go personal, right?" Nikky nodded, "I was just wondering… would you tell me how he found you? And how you got lost?"

"Aidan, I'm not sure I should. You should ask your dad and maybe mom. I can tell you this. He found me because he loves your mom, our mom, so badly that he did all he could to make her happy. But he didn't need to find me. She was already happy with you."

"Actually…" Came Sam's voice, "I always missed you, you were always a part of me I couldn't complete. I love you, each one of you for who you are, one of my children. Each of you perfect in your own imperfect way. Now, Aidan, about your doubts." He looked down, ashamed.

"Don't be ashamed, Aidan, you deserve to know what happened in your family," Jack told him and he raised his eyes with hope, "I believe you are big enough to know what it was."

"When I was very, very young, I didn't know much of life, and I knew even less of how to take care of myself. I found myself pregnant… you remember how Mandy looked, right?" Aidan nodded. "She looked very similar to Mandy, but she had this tiny curls… that ended one day, someone took her from me. No matter how much I searched for her, I couldn't find her."

"The world is a big place to search," Nikky answered, giving Sam a sad smile.

"My life went on, but I searched her in every face I saw. When I saw someone of her age, I would often wonder if I was seeing her without knowing she was mine or not. Then you came along and I loved you from the first time I knew you were inside me."

"That's how you lost her. How did you found her?" Aidan asked.

"Remember Uncle Thor?" Jack asked.

"Yes."

"Well, some other aliens made your mom pregnant with Mandy because they needed something in her blood to live. It benefited your uncle Thor too. They were so happy so, one day, he came to my office and told me I could ask for whatever I wanted… and it was easy to ask, because that same day they offered, one more year of Nikky disappearing passed."

"So you asked Uncle Thor?"

2005

SGTC

The bright light almost blinded him, but he knew without a shade of a doubt that it came from an Asgard beam.

"Greetings O'Neill."

"Thor! What can we do for you?"

"Is I who wonders what can I do for you?"

"I don't understand."

"Well, the first Asgard free of cloning issues are out and about, as you say. The council agreed that we should give you something in return. Colonel Carter was easy. I couldn't let her know yet. However, I'm sure it will please her to know she can access to an Asgard computer for herself to proceed in getting our knowledge into yours. However, you… we cannot decide what to give you."

"I can ask for anything?" Jack asked, remembering the sour face of his wife when she spotted the date. He had to hold her for a while, but he knew by his own experience with certain dates, that she needed much more than that.

"Yes."

"You said once that your vessel is equipped to do full DNA scans in a non-invasive way."

"That's part of our basic model, yes."

"Is it possible to scan the entire world?"

"Yes, it can take some time but it is possible. What are you thinking, O'Neill?"

"Sam… She had a daughter a long time ago. Is it possible for you to find her?"

"If she's alive and on Earth, yes."

"Then that's what I want. For you to find her." When not even two hours later the Roswell gray appeared in his office again, he was startled.

"I have fulfilled your wish. Although, I don't understand how is she lost if they are side by side?" Thor questioned him, giving him a picture of Sam's lab.

"I'll be damned. And Mark says the Air Force isn't a Carter thing. Thanks, Thor."

Now the issue was how to approach either woman about this? He knew he had to come up with something before leaving for home, because the moment his officer mask fell, Sam would know he was hiding something.

"How do I get myself in these things?" he wondered out loud, before taking his phone after quickly deciding that he first needed some background check. Even with all his contacts and with her being an Air Force officer, it took him longer to get all her information than to Thor to find her.

He started with her Air Force file, which, to be honest, wasn't all that unknown to him. All the people mulling around the SGC, SGC-T, and/or the labs, was handpicked and that meant he had to read their files once they checked their background. Then, he went with the files that cost them more to get… her school records, her family records… He knew what he found would have Sam devastated. But it explained why the girl was so difficult.

He considered what to do, how to deal with the information… how to tell Sam, what to tell Sam, and just as important, how to approach the girl. He sat there wondering for a while, to whom he should approach first. Sam or… Nikky? What if the girl didn't want a thing to do with Sam? Would that devastate his wife beyond means? But even if the girl didn't want to have a relationship with Sam as family… he couldn't hide such information, not from Sam. He sighed. He reached one decision and grabbed his phone.

"Hey, do you think we can go home early today?"

As per their usual, they had enough time on their books to take a few hours off and they headed home after retrieving their daughter out of the care floor which was built into the SGCT facility. It was a necessity, actually. Many of the SGC personnel had kids, and most of them relied on the spouse or partner in case of emergencies. There were always issues with what to do with them in long assignments, or when their support couldn't get there in time. Jack understood the situation so well, they also had put in action some pickup plans: They had a list of all the kids, schedules associated with their parent's roster and authorizations for picking them out of school in case something went wrong with their parents, all sitting on software developed by Sam which also sent an emergency note to the caretaker if a pickup was needed… It was a big improvement on their side and all personnel of the combined SGC's where happy with how it came to be.

Surprising Aidan, they picked their oldest out of school and went for a movie and family meal. If Sam found it odd, he knew she wouldn't comment for the sake of their kids. She thanked him as soon as they sat in the darkened theater sit.

"What for?" he whispered back, and she kissed his cheek, making their kids giggle happily.

"I know you are trying to cheer me up, and you are doing a great job," Sam said and she too immersed herself in the adventures of the lion, the zebra, the giraffe, and the hippo, that made her laugh as loud as her kids. Jack laughed too, just by the sheer happiness of seeing his family happy. Well, that ... and the movie was actually hilarious.

Their kids were weird, and they both knew it, otherwise, they wouldn't be sitting in an Asian fusion restaurant for a family meal. How that happened they didn't know for sure, but as much as the two of them would like to go for a steak, their kids always decided for Asian cuisine. Maybe it had something to do with the coloring mat and how they looked like comic books.

Then, they finally got home to their routine. And soon, they were just two of them, cuddling up there on their rooftop. Their favorite grown-up place in the house. She kissed his cheek softly and with a soft caress she turned his face to look at him in the eye.

"Will you tell me what have you thinking so hard?" He sighed.

"I have to show you something…"

"You are not sick, are you?"

"Huh, nope… nor I have another woman…" he got a punch in the arm for that comment, "What? That's exactly what the average housewife would wonder, you know?"

"In case you haven't noticed, I'm not the average housewife," she said with a roll of her eyes.

"Oh, that I have." he wriggled his eyebrows.

"You are stalling…" he raised his eyebrow in amusement

"I'm stalling? You are the one who interrupted me in the first place," he whined. Then he pushed her up and stood up too, grabbing her hand and pulled her towards the new wider stair. "Wait for me in the living room?" he asked while going to their study to find his briefcase. Yes, he now was the owner of such an item. It came with the position.

He grabbed the folder that contained all the data and made a detour to the kitchen to grab a wine and glasses. Once he was all set, he walked to where Sam was still waiting for him. She raised the eyebrow at the wine.

"I guess it is as… delicate… as I thought," she muttered as he presented her with one glass of wine.

"Sam, Thor came by my office today. Their experiments worked…" he raised his hand to stop her from saying something. "He told me that, as a token of gratitude, they gave you a new toy."

"Yes, what I was about to say to you was exactly that he visited me too."

"Oh!" he sipped his wine and studied her. "Well, he told me, that it was easy for them to know what such a token would be for you. However, the Asgard couldn't decide what to give me. They let me decide. Surprising, right?"

"Not really… so what happened? What did you ask for?"

"I… I might have stepped over some boundaries here," he said nervously. "Therefore, promise me you won't be angry for long."

"What did you do?" she asked, then looking at him she smiled. "I know you, Jack, nothing you could come up with could ever make me angry with you for long. I won't promise I won't disagree or that I will like it… but I promise I won't remain angry for long." He kneeled before her, his knees cracking as he did so. He placed his hands on her lap and looked at her straight in the eye.

"I asked him to find your Nikky," Sam gasped for air and he quickly added his explanations. "I saw you this morning when you looked at the date. I know not knowing what happened with her pains you. I just wanted you to…" she stopped his tirade by placing a soft finger over his lips. Her eyes were full of tears and she was biting her lower lip.

"Did it work?" He nodded once. "Oh, God… is she…"

"Yes, she's alive, Sam… and closer than you might believe." He said moving some hair out of her face. "I have all the information about her there," he said pointing to the folder next to the wine bottle. "I have to be honest with you, Sam. I read everything, it's not nice. You can trust me on that one, or I can hold you while you read, whichever you want… I'm here," she nodded once. Then she patted the place next to her and he understood her choice. Once he resettled himself, she reached for the folder.

"Are you serious?" she asked as soon as she read the name on the folder. He nodded, pointing to the data and picture Thor had provided him with. "I can't believe it… all this time, she was right there," she whispered, and he held her closer.

She read carefully the thousands of words, some parts even twice. Her little baby had suffered so much. She couldn't contain the tears as she read her data. Her birth certificate was there, both her name and the first name she picked for her daughter were missing, but the date was there, the father was there.

"At least he kept her middle name," she said out loud, and the next page was a note telling them that, for the number on it, it was not exactly from her birth but from when she would be two or three years old. Then, her history became worse than Sam could have ever imagined.

It was her father, the one who took her from Sam, but he died when she was five. With the lack of a mother or relative, she ended up in foster care. One abusive family to the next one. The girl grew up. She was excellent as a student but there were several notes in her file accusing her of cheating. It was impossible for her to learn everything if she wasn't in class. Then, it occurred to one teacher to test her IQ. When her number hit the roof, the teacher fought with claws and teeth to get her custody. The teacher, Johanna Miller, saw her potential, but a little too late. She was sixteen already when that happened. And then, two years later, she joined the Air Force. Sam set the folder down.

"I can't believe it, Jack… I know my situation wasn't the best but why she had to go through all this?"

"I don't know Sam. I'm a little conflicted about all this. I mean, I'm not in favor of a child going through such hell. But if you hadn't lost her… we wouldn't have met. You wouldn't join the Air Force… and if you did, you wouldn't accept Special Ops having a child home, not when you knew how the lack of your father made you feel," he said honestly.

"You are right, Jack… but I… even if I lost her, why couldn't she end up in a loving home? Nineteen homes in eleven years sound like an awful lot. I moved around, but I still had my dad and Mark. It's not fair… not to her."

"I wasn't sure what to do when Thor gave me those," he said pointing to the photo laid on the table. "I know it's a sensitive subject, and I know… there's a chance she doesn't want to know you. There's a chance that she hates you, who knows what's the history she knows about you… and I didn't want to burden you with that… and I also didn't want to hide it from you." She turned around, caressed his face, and kissed him with all her might.

"Jack, I don't know what the hell did I do to deserve you. No, no... don't go there, it is true. I know you sometimes feel the same about me. So just accept it for this time, can you?" He nodded. "I have to talk to her. I don't know if I want to tell her I'm her mother, she's a responsible adult now. But I guess is only fair."

"Sam, she might be a responsible adult, but even responsible adults need of loving parents."

Two days later.

SGC

It was only two days later when she finally grew enough courage to talk to her; she walked to the labs confidently and saw her concentrating on some experiments. Now that she knew, there were things that looked so like her that was both painful to see and obvious to notice. The small frown of her brow when something was odd. Some gestures… her ability to see things others couldn't. Her passion for her theories… Sam shook herself and stopped contemplating her and knocked on the glass door. The girl beamed at her, and after writing some notes; she came out of the room.

"Colonel Carter? What can I do for you?" she asked, looking at her oddly since Sam was already in her civvies.

"Lieutenant Hailey, can I have some words with you, in private?"

"Did I do something wrong?" the young officer questioned.

"No, no really. I just want to talk with you about something… will you?" Jennifer nodded, worrying her lower lip. "Your scheduled day is over. Do you mind signing yourself out first?" Jennifer went to do as asked and then they walked to Sam's office.

"Please take a seat," Sam pointed to one chair at the other side of her desk, Jennifer took one… and to her, Sam took the other one.

"I don't really know how to start this… Jennifer. Before you go on explaining things, you must know I brought you here to talk about personal matters, not about anything related to the Air Force. Which apparently only makes it harder…" she chuckled nervously, then all clicked on Jennifer's head. Sam's attire, the sign-off. "What do you know about your parents?"

Jennifer Hailey was known for her bad genius. Sam had been at the receiving end of it a couple of times, which she always handled as the officer she was. Tactfully ordering to stop and gaining her respect one little step at the time. But the quick set of the girl's jaw warned Sam of another outburst. However, she now had a new insight on what caused it and she had purposely stuck the proverbial finger in the wound, so her reaction was to be expected.

"You mean to tell me you somehow got my sealed records unsealed, ma'am?" she asked a hint of venom was clear in her voice.

"Yes... and its Sam. Not ma'am at this moment," Hailey analyzed her situation and measured her words.

"Then you know about them as much as I do," she almost spits the words.

"So you know nothing about Frank Hailey?" With her jaw set, Jennifer shook her head no.

"Why are you asking me all this?"

"What would you say if I told you I knew Frank Hailey?"

"Probably that you are lying, according to the records Frank Hailey was born in 1961, and he died when I was five, and that was back in 1988. According to your history at the Academy, you joined the USAF in 1985. Accounting the age difference, he would be at college while you were still at school. Therefore, is impossible for you to have crossed paths before."

"You can try all the math you want, Jennifer, but with the little data you have collected about me, there's one fact that remains: I met your father."

"How? When? How was he like?" Sam saw the glint of hope in her eyes. She saw the scared little girl who wanted a family. Who needed a family, before the girl could contain herself.

"We met at college, actually. You are right. He was older than me. However, I was in some of his classes when I was only fourteen. He was charming, very good with words, and a romantic. He was also your stereotypical bad boy."

"You liked him," Hailey affirmed and Sam blushed.

"We dated," she explained.

"But you were fourteen."

"And emancipated. We dated for a while. Then, he decided I wasn't enough and ended up the relationship. I had to change schools after that… and I knew nothing about him anymore"

"Wow…"

A knock on Sam's door interrupted the moment. She got up and walked to the end of her office and turned her back to the door, trying to compose herself. Jennifer was with her back to the door but she understood what was happening and she too quickly cleaned her face.

"Come in."

"Carter, have you… Oops, sorry I didn't know you were busy," Jack said entering the room. "Lieutenant."

"General," she jumped to her feet to salute him.

"Don't do that Hailey… I know you respect me, but can you imagine what would happen if I am to enter your lab and you salute me?" He chuckled and made her chuckle too. "Also, I am currently a civilian coming to visit his wife at work. So having that cleared. I should go wait for you at my office…" he said, pointing to the door. Sam turned around with a smile.

"Stay," she told him, and he frowned. "Jennifer, would you mind him joining the conversation we were having?"

"I… I don't know"

"It's okay, I can leave, I know what she's talking to you about. It's private and you probably don't want the CO of the base knowing about it." He winked at her.

Jack liked the girl as much as Sam had liked her before she knew it was her own flesh and blood. Granted, he knew she had some issues with authority that needed to be fixed, but she was also working hard on that. Jennifer assessed the man, then she observed how Sam looked more relaxed now that the General, no, her husband, was in the room.

"I guess, that if you already know, then it shouldn't bother me," Jack nodded and sat in Sam's chair and turned around in it, making Sam roll her eyes at him. But also, making Jennifer more at ease with his presence.

"I don't know how to continue…" Sam admitted. Jack smiled. He opened the one folder which remained on top of her desk. Then he pushed it towards Hailey.

"What about with this?" he asked and Sam smiled gratefully.

"There's something you need to see in that folder, Jennifer. I don't know how you will react to it. Whatever it makes you feel, I just want you to know that I tried my best to find you."

Not understanding the reason, but with curiosity winning her over, Jennifer Hailey extended herself and grabbed the folder. The first page she saw was unbelievable. It was a birth certificate of one Nicole Leslie Carter, born May 8, 1983. To Samantha Carter and Frank Hailey. Her quick brain told her that Sam was only fifteen when the baby was born. She frowned. "Who's Nicole?" she asked, but then she turned the page. There was an article on baby Nicole's abduction. The next page, was a picture of her and Sam, dated two days ago and next to each of them Asgard words read '100% parental match'. Then there was more… more data retrieved from the Asgard.

She looked at Sam, eyes wide and scared. She couldn't help but run out of the room as fast as she could. The moment Jack sensed the fleeting need in the girl, he also stood up. He knew Sam would need someone to hold her right then.

The next couple of days were strenuous. He didn't know for sure if Sam was hiding from Jennifer or Jennifer from Sam. But he knew they hadn't talked after the disclosure. Sam didn't seem distraught for the untrained eye. However, Jack knew her better than she knew herself, and the bruises on his calves and other body parts talked silently of the nightmares in her sleep. He knew he had to intervene.

So in the next days, he pleaded with the nerds to find him a place where to take a couple of SGT's for training. It had to be important enough to grant scientific support too. And he found one. He organized SGT's 1 to 5 and with the cover of the important thing that needed to be studied, he dragged Sam out there too.

He saw the apprehensive look on both women's faces the moment they found themselves in the gate room. Jack knew for a conversation to happen they would need more than just to be on another planet. But how many interruptions can you have on a deserted planet in which there was no real technology to bury yourself into, but you couldn't leave because the training teams were still, well, training? Jack smiled inside.

And as he predicted, he lured the two women into a room in which there was a supposedly technological advance that they needed to see. That he had locked the two of them inside an empty vault 'by mistake' was just his most devilish plan coming to fruition. Once the two were in close quarters, he radioed them and told them, "You won't be out of there until you both talk. There's a backpack with food somewhere inside."

Two 'without due respect, General,' came out, and he chuckled. With a slight smile, he walked out to find his team. Daniel and Teal'c received him with an eyebrow raised and he just shrugged. "I couldn't come up with anything else to make them talk."

At some point that day, Daniel confessed over an MRE that he was planning to do the same with Jack and Sam before he learned they were already married. When they picked the women back, he knew by their demeanors that something had shifted between them. They might not be ready for a full mother-daughter relationship… but they would get there, eventually.

2009

O'Neill Residence

Once they answered the many questions that Aidan had about Nikky, he went to his room after saying goodbyes. Only the grownups remained. Sam looked at her daughter and smiled.

"I too have a question for you, maybe two," Sam grinned.

"Go ahead."

"Why did you run away that day? And why did you stay?" Jennifer chuckled nervously.

"When I read the file, it scared me. Somehow I was your daughter, you were the mother I always dreamed of finding. But that wasn't me either. I was someone different from Nicole Leslie Carter. I grew up with another name, and when I understood that, if that was my real birth certificate the other was a fake. Then it shook me, I realized I didn't really exist. Jennifer Hailey was never real, and yet, all my life, that was who I was. I thought of leaving, I had my request for transfer ready." she smiled.

"I remembered then than before I knew you were my mother, you were someone who cared for me. I can count those people with one hand. If you hadn't gone to the Academy and noticed me, hadn't you dragged me to and through the Stargate… they would have kicked me out of the Academy. I would have nothing. Nowhere to go, I'll be nothing. I would have not existed."

"That's why you accepted to take your identity?" Jack asked softly, and she nodded.

"When we talked, that day in that stinky planet." They both mocked glared at him and he raised his hands in surrender, "Sam explained to me, everything. She knew things about me I didn't. And after being alone for so long, how could I possibly let the chance to have someone, to be someone… go out of the window?"

"I knew you were a smart girl," Jack smiled.

"I have to thank you both. You could have pressed me to be someone that I'm not. But you didn't. You both took everything related to me so slowly, and even when there are still some unresolved issues, I know they will be gone someday. I know I have a mother to whom I can turn to, and I gained an extended family that I never dreamed of, I have a stepfather, a brother, and sister. I got an uncle and nephews and nieces, and a grandpa and your parents Jack, your entire family... they also adopted me as one of their own. Reality is that I never in my wildest dreams thought finding my mother would be so interesting. I never thought of meeting her without knowing who she was, would save me."

"Thank you, Jennifer," Sam whispered, a lone tear ran through her face.

"My name is Nicole, mom. Never forget that," Nikky said, kissing her softly on the cheek, tears of her own streaming down her face. When they both heard a sniffle coming out of Jack, they all laughed.

"You know when I first met you…" Sam started, and Nikky blushed remembering how she treated Sam. It was all water under the bridge now, she knew. "You struck me so hard, that for weeks I had to struggle with the memories you brought forth."

"As if you knew I was… well, me"

"Yes, the day you went to the SGC… I was hoping you would let behind a hair or something that I could use for a DNA test."

"But I didn't."

"Nope… and when I went to look for you in the changing room, I saw a picture of you. With a couple which I supposed where your parents."

"Ah, the Millers… They were the closest thing I had to parents, until now."

"I'm sorry. I talked with Jack back then about that picture, and we both agreed that I was wishfully thinking. So I let it be."

"The only important thing is that we are here. Today. What happened, it's all done and gone… but we can still mend the fences and go on from there. And our fences are almost done," Nikky finished and Sam gasped.

"May I?" Sam questioned timidly. A side of Colonel Samantha Carter that Nicole only saw whenever they were home. As she nodded with tears in her eyes, she launched herself towards the opening arms of her mother.

Nicole Carter left not too much longer after that sweet family moment, and once again Jack and Sam found themselves wrapped up in each other and in the dark. Sam sighed in content.

"Do you remember what I once asked you?" Jack whispered against her hair. "If you believed in karma?" she nodded against his chest. "Do you remember your answer?"

"I'm not sure if I believe in karma, Jack. If I do, will it mean that I paid in advance for all the damage I can do? Or is it for the damage I will do?"

"Do you still feel that way?" he asked, and she exhaled. Her breath causing goosebumps in his skin.

"I believe we are who we are because of the decisions we took to be here today. Without them, we wouldn't be us. I still don't know if I believe in karma. But I know that all the pain I went through, all the suffering I was put through, it was all worthy. Because without it, I wouldn't have you, and without you, I wouldn't be able to survive. I wouldn't be able to become who I am. I wouldn't have another chance at motherhood. I wouldn't know about my firstborn. Jack, don't you see? The only constant in my life, the only thing in which I need to believe, the only thing I know for sure…" she said moving herself to look at him in the eye. "Is that you love me, with that settled, everything else falls into place, in its own time."

He looked at her, assessing her words. He raised his hand and caressed her hair, and in a swift movement, he turned her around and she giggled like she always did. And there, in the night's covert, in the darkness that always joined them, they both vowed to love each other unconditionally, until the last piece of the puzzle of their lives fell into place, taking their last breaths away.

And they sealed their vows with a soul-searing kiss.

THE END 2.0